The First His Dark Materials Promises a Deity-Killing Good Time

On Sunday, the BBC dropped the first trailer for its TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, the children's book series about carrying an animal version of your soul everywhere and, eventually, murdering God. While we get a glimpse into what this whole, bizarre world will look like, it also offers the books a chance for redemption after the, at best, underwhelming movie version from 2007.

After the success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, studios were eager to find new fantasy novels, and New Line Cinema snatched up Pullman's Golden Compass, the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Unfortunately, the movie was a mess and committed two massive sins, failing to meet box office expectations and squandering Nicole Kidman in the role of an elegant and relentless villain. Add backlash over how the movie handled the book's religious themes, and ultimately the studio scrapped plans to make movies of the last two books in the series.

The new BBC series boasts a powerhouse cast, including Logan's Dafne Keen as the main protagonist. Joining her are James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson of The Affair and Luther fame, The Wire's Clarke Peters, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. And, interestingly, there's not a daemon in sight. His Dark Materials will be available on HBO later this year.

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